310 



Minnesota Plant Life. 



Sumacs and poison-elders, 'i'he sumacs include seven va- 

 rieties and are met with pretty commonly throuijiiout the state. 

 With one exception — the frag-rant sumac — they are abundant. 

 They are shrubs with pinnate leaves and invite attention by 

 their large panicles of small stone-fruits, bright red in color in 

 some of the varieties, and gray or white in others. The innoc- 

 uous varieties of sumac, of 

 which there are four or five 

 in the state, may be recog- 

 nized when in fruit by the 

 massive red clusters. The 

 leaves are made up of from 

 nine to thirty one leaflets, 

 ^ except in the fragrant su- 

 mac, which bears three- 



/>-/( leafleted leaves and much 

 ,^ '^ smaller clusters of stone- 

 fruits. The poisonous va- 

 rieties may be avoided by 

 noting their gray or white 

 stone-fruits. There are two 

 of these, the poison-elder 

 ( poison-sumac. ])oison-dog- 

 wood, poison-ash or poison- 

 oak) and the poison-ivy, 

 both extremely unpleasant 

 to come in contact with. 

 The poison-elder grows for 

 the most jiart in swamps 

 and is prett\' abundant 

 among tamarack through- 

 out the northern and central 



KiG. 151. Poison-suinac. After Cliesmit. F. 15. HO, noi'tions ()t tllC StatC It 



V. S. Dept. Ag. \ ' ' . ■ 



becomes more rare m the 

 southern and western districts. W hen in fruit it is easily rec- 

 ognized b\ the production of ])anicled curranl-bimch-shaped 

 clusters of gra) stone-fruits. The iea\es are coinpo>ed of about 

 seven leaflets arranged in ])innate fashion, i'^roin the shape of 

 its leaves thi^ plant i> also called the poison-ash. and it is known 



